


A Sticky Stucky Situation

by wolfiefics



Series: Wolfiefics Stucky Halloween Dabbles [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Halloween, M/M, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-03
Updated: 2014-10-03
Packaged: 2018-02-19 16:57:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2395904
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfiefics/pseuds/wolfiefics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wolfiefics' Stucky Halloween Drabble #1: Popcorn Balls</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sticky Stucky Situation

Steve Rogers sighed inwardly as he watched his best friend gleefully pour expensive molasses all over the freshly popped popcorn. “We should have used corn syrup,” Steve told him glumly as Bucky Barnes sank his fingers carefully into the pile of gummy popcorn.

“Nonsense!” Bucky scoffed. “Molasses tastes better.”

“Corn syrup is cheaper and less messy,” Steve rejoined listening to the popcorn crunch beneath his friend’s hamfisted maneuvers.

“Cheap syrup reflects in cheap tasting popcorn balls.” Bucky made this sweeping pronouncement as he turned to face Steve with a lopsided ball of popcorn in his hand. “Pan?”

Steve grimaced but dutifully held out the metal pan they were going to stack the popcorn balls on. Bucky advised at the beginning of this venture that they could form a decent sized pyramid with wax paper between the layers of gooey popcorn. 

It was their first Halloween in the apartment and Bucky went overboard, as usual, when Steve mentioned at the grocer’s that they needed to buy some candy for the tenements’ kids when they came trick or treating. Steve was thinking little wrapped mints or maybe some salt water taffy, but nothing but popcorn balls would do for James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. Steve was just relieved that Bucky was no longer interested in the vandalistic ‘trick’ of the Halloween phrase as he had been when they were younger.

The base of the pyramid went okay but Steve was amazed that Bucky, usually a dab hand at logistics and architecture, didn’t see the potential problem of a lopsided pyramid in the making. 

“Too bad we don’t have any food coloring,” Bucky lamented as he placed a popcorn ball on the second layer.

Steve adjusted the ball to sit better when Bucky turned back to his pile of popcorn goop. “That’s all we need. Orange popcorn balls.” He could just imagine the orange stains all over the kitchen. Bucky was an enthusiastic, if not clean, individual in the kitchen.

“Nah, orange and black. Good Halloween colors, Stevie.” Bucky turned and plopped another popcorn ball on the pyramid, this one about half the size of the last one. Steve inwardly cringed. This was going to end badly.

Sure enough, the pyramid tilted like the Tower of Pisa and Bucky had molasses in places no amount of soap or shampoo was going to get off any time soon. He looked well pleased with himself though and Steve was hard pressed to begrudge his friend his crooked triumph.

“Now what?” Steve was still holding the pan of popcorn balls in his spindly arms.

“We put it in the ice box-“ Bucky began and then trailed off as his face turned into an expression of horror.

“Oh you mean the ice box that we don’t have?” Steve retorted. “I’m not holding this all night, Buck. It’s heavy, it stinks, you know I hate molasses and-“ Steve’s face turned into one of horror even as his nose twitched and he tried to snuffle back a sneeze.

“No!” cried Bucky leaping to save his masterpiece but it was too late.

Steve let out a sneeze that he couldn’t cover, due to the pyramid of gooey popcorn shapes somewhat resembling balls in his arms. Bucky’s fingertips hit the pan just right, flipping it out of Steve’s arms as the smaller man bent over from the force of his sneeze, sending the sticky creation soaring into the air.

To Bucky’s credit, in hindsight, the molasses was a great idea. The tower of popcorn balls didn’t break apart even when they hit the cheap kitchen tiles. They just landed and slowly dripped the brown syrup onto the floor.

Bucky stared at the mess. Steve sniffled and stared first at Bucky and then the mess.

“I worked all afternoon,” Bucky said in disbelief. “It was going to be special, our first Halloween away from home. Spoil the neighbor kids rotten.”

“Uh.” Steve sneezed again. “I think I’m allergic to molasses.” 

Bucky turned on him. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I did’t know undil now, “ Steve protested as his stuffy nose made the English language harder to speak. “It wadn’t mah fawt.”

“Ah!” Bucky threw his hands in the air and reached down to pick up the pile of gooey treats.

The devil took control of Steve’s body, he swore to his priest the following Sunday. As Bucky bent over, presenting a perfect target of his bum in the air, Steve gave into the Devil’s urging and gave his best friend in the whole world a teeny, tiny mischievous shove.

Face first into the popcorn balls.

He should have used the time, Steve reflected later as he did a few Pater Nosters as penance, to run instead of giving into laughter instead when Bucky sat up, stunned and covered in sticky popcorn pieces.

Especially since Bucky used that time to grab Steve around the neck and slap a big kiss on his mouth, sharing the sticky fun, as well as a few soul searching moments that turned into something later then priest didn’t hear about. 

Again hindsight for them both, as it turned out Steve was indeed allergic to molasses. Steve reflected later that it explained why his mother never had molasses in the house, after his face became swollen and his tongue argued with his nose over which was making speech harder.

Bucky resolutely refused to confess the sin of revenge, considering he had to boil four pans of water to get the sticky off them both while simultaneously not burning them as well with scalding water.

They gave out salt water taffy that year, or rather Bucky handed out the candy while Steve lay on the rickety sofa as the swelling in his face went down.

Bucky, however, was resolute that next year, he’d get the popcorn balls right. Steve begged him to please, please please, don’t use molasses.

“All right, punk, since you seem to be so adamant.”

“I hay you,” Steve moaned around swollen lips, not entirely from the allergies.

“No you don’t.” Bucky gave him a wicked smile and leaned in for another quick kiss.

Steve sighed. No, he didn’t but by God, next Halloween was going to just be decorations, costumes and store bought candy. Just see if it wouldn’t.

**Author's Note:**

> I know, it's totally ridiculous I'll do better for the next one, but it's the first thing I've been able to write in almost two months. My on going, All We Needed Was the Radio, is still a go, if I could write something, anything that isn't dreck!
> 
> I do have some ideas for more Stucky Halloween drabbles. I'm looking to do at least three a week. Stop by my [tumblr if you want to drop some ideas or be a cheering squad. :)](http://wolfiejinn.tumblr.com/)


End file.
